Thursday, May 26, 2011

Help the Kids of Joplin Escape

Tornado-devastated Joplin, MO, is not without its heroes. Specifically, the proprietors of Joplin comic retailer Hurley's Heroes have been living up to the example of their product during their community's harrowing time. First they put out notice that they were safe and open for shelter and support. Now, the heroes of Hurley's Heroes are sending out a call to the comic community to help them help their family, friends, and patrons find a sort of escape from the traumatic surroundings.

It will be days at least, maybe weeks or longer that people are forced to live in shelters, without the comfort and calm of home. For many, there is no home left. So Hurley's Heroes is asking for a very specific type of donation to help provide peace and calm and even a little levity to the dire circumstance: comics!

All-ages books are the order of the day--anything to help the kids stuck indefinitely in shelters. Books can be sent to Hurley's for distribution around Joplin. Send packages to:

Hurley's Heroes 1515 w 10th Ste.c Joplin, MO 64801

You can also find Hurley's on Facebook to send virtual care packages of well-wishes and moral support. And, of course, as this horrifying tornado season unfolds across the heartland, there are a number of ways to support the relief efforts in Joplin and across the midwest, like donating to the Red Cross or supporting local and regional missions.

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CALL TO ACTION

Being a geek is EXPENSIVE! But fanboys and fangirls spend so much of their time and money on kitsch and fluff, stuff and nonsense, and pricey toys that adding a few extra bucks to the weekly pull-list budget or rounding off the cost of that life-size stuffed Jawa to the nearest dollar wouldn't make a single one of them blink. What if that extra dollar a week went toward the fight to cure autism? What if it went toward the expansion of the pediatric center of a cancer hospital? What if the extra dollar thrown into the pot by a thousand geeks every week for a month went to help just one sick child with limited health insurance get the treatment she needs?

So let's do it! Don't give that money to us. Give it to them. Or find some other way to channel your creativity to help them. Just do something. There will be plenty of time for your own escapism after you spend a few moments (and hopefully a few pennies) improving someone else's reality. When you're done reading about do-gooders for $3.99 a pop, go out a do some good of your own.

FOUNDER

Matt Bergin, the co-creator of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers and moderator of the Comic Blog Elite, started this blog as a distraction after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Now, one thyroid lighter and able to debunk any myths about radiation giving you special powers, Matt is taking a cue from his super heroes and trying to do some good. There's no cure for comics, but through our efforts, comics can cure!